Technical Field
The present invention relates to nozzle guns to be used as water spray nozzles, refueling nozzles, or air nozzles, the water spray nozzles being used for spraying water mainly in the household such as in gardening, cleaning, or farming. In particular, the present invention relates to nozzle guns operated while being held by a user's hand.
The present invention also relates to lever lock mechanisms used, for example, in the nozzle guns.
Related Art
Nozzle guns for spraying fluids are used in industry and in households for various applications.
In the household, a water spray nozzle, which is attached to the end of a hose and enables switching between spraying and stopping water at will, is widely used, for example, in gardening, farming, and cleaning. Such a water spray nozzle receives water from a water supply facility such as a tap through the hose and sprays water from a discharge outlet formed on a distal end of the water spray nozzle.
A conventional water spray nozzle includes a flow path for water formed inside a nozzle main body for connecting a proximal inlet and a distal discharge outlet. The flow path has an on-off valve including a valve seat and a valve body disposed in the flow path, and an operating lever is attached to the front of the nozzle main body so as to be capable of moving toward and away from the nozzle main body. In conjunction with the operating lever moving toward and away from the main body, the valve body moves toward and away from the valve seat and opens and closes the on-off valve. (See, for example, JP 08-1049 A.)
Some such conventional water spray nozzles are provided with a lock mechanism that is capable of maintaining the spraying of water by holding the operating lever in place without the user having to keep the operating lever squeezed.
JP 08-1049 A describes a water spray nozzle that has a locking ring attached to a nozzle main body and is capable of preventing an operating lever from moving away from the nozzle main body by the locking ring engaging with the operating lever with the operating lever in a squeezed position.
The water spray nozzle in JP 08-1049 A requires the user to operate the locking ring with one hand while squeezing the operating lever with the other hand, thereby inconveniently occupying both hands when locking and unlocking the operating lever.
JP 4482832 B1 describes a lock mechanism that includes an arm attached to a nozzle main body and projecting toward an operating lever, and a cam attached to the operating lever. In this lock mechanism, the user squeezes the operating lever to cause a locking strip provided on the arm to slide along a slideway formed on a side surface of the cam as the operating lever moves toward the nozzle main body and to lock into a locking recess recessed into the slideway. The distance between the nozzle main body and the operating lever is thus maintained and the operating lever can be prevented from moving away from the nozzle main body. Squeezing the operating lever again from the locked condition in which the locking strip is locked into the locking recess releases the lock and the on-off valve returns to a closed condition.
The water spray nozzle in JP 4482832 B1 always locks the valve in an open condition every time the operating lever is squeezed from the valve closed condition and is inconvenient when the user wishes to spray water without using the lock.
Further, the arm and the cam, which are components necessary for the lock mechanism, are disposed inside the operating lever. This makes component replacements difficult in the event of breakage.
JP 4789143 B1 describes a water spray nozzle having a stopper that is retained between a nozzle main body and an operating lever, that automatically engages with the operating lever when the operating lever is squeezed, and that prevents the operating lever from moving away from the nozzle main body.
This water spray nozzle is provided with lock release means for releasing the engagement between the stopper and the operating lever by pressing a push button attached to the operating lever such that the push button presses the stopper.
Unfortunately, the water spray nozzle in JP 4789143 B1 requires a special push button to release the lock, and this configuration increases complexity of the device.
PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS
JP 08-1049 A
JP 4482832 B1
JP 4789143 B1